Pauline Hickey declared "my heart is broken," after son Hani Abou El Kheir was stabbed to death yards from his home in Pimlico.

Witnesses reported the 16-year-old was set upon by a sword-wielding mob of youngsters and that he begged for his life as he was killed in Lupus Street.

Reports claim his mother's screams rang out around Churchill Gardens Estate, where the family live, in the aftermath of the killing.

Hickey added her own message to floral tributes laid at the scene of his death.

"My heart is broken. I love you so much. The pain is unbelievable. Your loving mum."

She stayed awake all night weeping and mourning his death, ahead of a post-mortem on his body at noon today (29 January).

The estate on which Hani lived with his family has become known in the past year as a drugs hotspot. Hani's name was known by officials working to combat the problem of drug dealing and usage on the estate.

Anti-gangs worker David Savizon is part of the Your Choice group, which tries to lead young people away from drugs. He said: "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet him. He wasn't deemed significant in terms of being in a gang. He was mentioned as someone on the periphery."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said police were keeping an "open mind" about the motive.